Partners
by Rassmussin
Summary: Add endless bantering, quibbling, and haggling from the two main characters, toss in a hottub, a hotel room, a Chrysler, and stolen whipped cream, and you have the ingredients of this story.
1. Chapter 1

I said it in all my stories, and I'll say it again...I don't own Special Unit 2 or it's characters.

"Why do we work together?" Kate asked her partner out of the blue as she stared straight ahead out the windsheild of the car.

Nick's face squished up, like it usually does when she said something off track or just blurted things out. "Where did that come from?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders, still not looking at him. "I don't know. It's just something I've been wondering. You didn't want a partner after Julie," She paused, giving it some more thought, "actually, you were hell bent against it. I was just wondering why we worked together after the Gargoil case, that's all."

Nick gripped his steering wheel and shifted in his seat, uncomfortable in this new line of questioning. He never was good at conversations like these, which managed to come up every so often. Showing feelings were not his strong suit. 

Sencing she wasn't going to get an answer unless she really pushed the issue, Kate continued. "Ya know, I was just thinking maybe Captain Page didn't give you a choice in it or something." She casually glanced his way.

Feeling her looking at him, he knew he had to answer her. When Kate got something in her head, she rarely stopped the interrogation until she got an answer.

"Captain Page didn't give me a choice." 

Kate could tell by the way he was smiling, in addition to him avoiding her, that it was not the true answer. She frowned and turned her gaze out the windsheild again.

A few minutes of Kate pouting silently jouseled Nick into this time bringing up the subject. 

With a sigh, Nick again shifted his weight and told her the story of how they came to be partners.

"After the case was closed, Page called me into his office. I kinda knew you were going to become a permenant fixture to the department, but Page wanted to make sure you could handle it. It's not regular police work. He told me he was requesting you be transfered from the city department to us, and asked my opinion on who you would be best paired up with. He named a few of the guys off, they didn't seem to fit. So I told him I'd work with you for awhile, ya know, until you got your bearings with everything."

"So why are we still partners?" 

"We're here." Nick put the car in park and got out of his seat faster than usual. Avoiding certain topics was his strong suit. 

Nick read through his menu as his stomach growled. Glancing over his menu, he realized Kate had set hers down and was staring intently on him. He laughed and set his down, glancing around for the waitress. "What?" 

"Nothing." Kate said innocently. But Nick knew the conversation wasn't over. She was building up her argument. He could practically hear the gears grinding in her head. He waited to be tossed into the boiling pot of water again by her. It was only a matter of time. 

Halfway through wolfing down his cheesburger, his shoulders fell as he looked over at her, picking at her chefs salad. "Your pouting." He informed her throught his half chewed burger.

Kate looked up, apparently shocked at his observation. "I am not!" She rebuttled.

Nick smiled ear to ear. He knew her too well to let this one slide. He loved the chance, any chance to remind her how well he could read her. "Yes you are!" He wiped his mouth and swallowed his food before continuing. "Anytime you don't get your way, or anytime you don't hear exactly what you want to hear, you pout, just like a child." He picked up his straw wrapper, crumpled it up into a small ball, and tossed it at her. "A spoiled rotton child!" He waited for her to retaliate. 

The blonde picked the paper which had landed in her salad and set it on her napkin beside her. She cocked her head, biting her bottom lip, convincing herself she was not going to stoop to O'Malley's childish antics and begin a food fight in the middle of a crowded resturant. She took a deep breath in when, and she composed herself, she gave him a proud look, adding that she wasn't a spoiled child. Content with herself, she grabbed her spoon and reached across the table, stealing half of the whipped cream topping that was piled on top of his chocolate shake. 

Nick lowered his eyebrows at her. "Hey, I was going to eat that. That's the best part." He quickly shoved the other half in his mouth before she could thieve the remainder of it.

"I left you half!" Kate said, defending her actions. "Besides, I don't have any."

"Well you would if you ordered a shake. And you took the bigger half."

"I didn't want one. And it was the smaller half."

"Bigger. If you didn't want one, why did you steal mine?" Nick was loving every minute of it the same way she was.

"I didn't steal it, you shared it. And I didn't want the shake, only one bite of the whip cream."

"Sharing is when you offer someone some. I didn't offer. You just reached over and stole..."

"Well you were going to offer."

"You ASSUMED I was going to offer."

"Well, you should have offered, and that's what matters. And who's the spoiled child now, huh? Won't even share one little bite of your shake with me. Good lord!"

"It was a big bite, and you could have asked."

"Next time, order extra." 

Nick resorted to another sigh as he watched her take a drink of her diet pepsi, smiling to herself in her own private victory. She was getting better at bantering, he was in need of more material and faster comebacks next time. 

Nick's eyes averted from Jonathan, who was rambling on about something the medical lab came up with, to Carl, who was paying more attention to where people were looking, than anything else. Nick knew better than to know it was anything else. He watched the gnome take small steps backwards, until his back touched Kate's desk. His arm snaked behind him, reaching. Even though his grubby little paws were not in sight, Nick's eyes narrowed, knowing fully well what he was doing. Without saying anything, Nick passed through the crowd of officers and detectives unnoticed. Kate, in her carelessness, had tossed her purse across her desk and forgot about it. By the time Nick reached the gnome, he had his hand inside the maroon velvet handbag, rummaging around for loose change, anything he could grasp. 

"Need some help?" Nick whispered, not wanting to attract anyones attention, especially his partners.

Carl jumped at the voice behind him. His hand recoiled from the purse with lightning fast speed, but to a trained detective like O'Malley, there was no hiding the fact that the thief had gotten something and was now holding it behind his back.

"Hand it over." Nick demanded, still keeping his voice low.

"Hand what over, O'Malley?" The gnome smiled sweetly at the detective, knowing an ass beating was just around the corner. 

Nick leaned down, level with the gnome's face. "Hand it over or the next time Kate picks up her purse, it's going to be heavier than normal, because I'm going to shove you in it and zip it closed. We all know how you love small confined places." Nick smiled broadly at the gnome.

Carl rolled his eyes and revealed the item stolen, getting only a quick glance at it. It was an envelope, the back closed only by being folded inside, not licked shut. Nick put the envelope in his inside jacket pocket, close to his chest, and picked up Kate's purse. He than grabbed Carl by the hair with both hands. The gnome shrieked, forcing everyone to turn around. O'Malley paused as his audience looked on. ''Just seeing if it's a wig he's wearing." The audience seemed unimpressed and put their attention back to Jonathan. Apparently, in SU2 headquarters, seeing a detective carrying a very feminine purse and hauling around a gnome wasn't anything unusual or eye opening. They simply turned away, leaving the detective to dish out as much punishment as he wanted. His partner, although seeing Carl being picked up, never saw her purse under Nick's arm.

Seven minutes later, Nick joined the group, taking his place by Kate's side, smirking throughout the debriefing. When the officers and detectives were dismissed by a very unhappy sounding Captain, everyone realized what the dark haired man was so proud of. 

Tied upside down, from one of the ceiling beams, yet eye level to any human, was a swinging and upside down Carl. Lipstick in a very unflattering-for-Carl shade of red, was smeared over his lips. Blush was caked on his cheeks, making them very rosey indeed. Tammy Faye herself would have been envious of the eyeshadow job O'Malley gave him, and the word "Klepto," was written in black eye liner across his face. Carl struggled against the rope which held his feet as Kate recognized the make-up shades as her own. O'Malley just smiled at his work. Kate's mouth formed an "O" as she hurried to her purse, yanking out her make-up compacts.

"Damn it, Nick!" She scolded. "My lipstick is ruined! Not only does it have Carl's lips on it, it's smushed! You cracked my blush pad, and what is this?" She held up her eyeshadow to show him how he mixed the colors together in his game of gnome make-over. 

Nick considered the possiblities. He raised his eyebrows and stated very matter of factly, "Blending?"

Kate rolled her eyes, throwing the make-up back in her purse and this time, locking it up in her bottom drawer. She flounced in her chair and whipped her hair back out of her face, casting Nick one last irritated look. Nick on the other hand was completely unscathed by it all. He gave the gnome a good shove, sending him swinging again, and took his place across from Kate at his own desk. Kate continued to mumble to herself the rest of the day about the cost of make-up and selfish shake drinkers. Nick, amused by it all, paid close attention to what she complained about, not trying to hard to stiffel his chuckles at both his partner, and the ever swinging gnome.

Ok, give me some ideas here. I don't know, haven't figured out just yet where this story's going to go, so any suggestions or ideas would be helpful in not only the story line, but finishing this one up in a few days. I'm not real good with links or mysteries, I'm better with just plain shippys, but again, any ideas would be welcomed. 


	2. Chapter 2

Nick locked his apartment door behind him and tossed his jacket back on, making his way to his usual girly bars and clubs. He could feel a headache coming on, so he grabbed a few asprin out of the glove compartment and tossed them back with his bottled water from that day. Part of him considered just going back home and getting a decent nights sleep, but he figured he was a block away, why not stop in for one drink, see what's going on. 

Across town, Kate was just wrapping up a phone call to her mom, and getting ready to watch a re-run of ER. While waiting for the show to start, her mind drifted off to the day almost behind her. Nick had been hurt before, she knew that. And he guarded his heart like it was Fort Knox, this she knew too. But why it was so hard for him to admit the small things about their friendship was beyond her. She rolled herself up in a blanket and fell asleep on the couch.

While Kate drifted off 12 miles away, Nick was halfway through his first drink when he remembered the envelope in his jacket. He pulled it out and took a peek inside, impressed with the contents. Photographs. He flipped through each one, examining every detail of them. He turned towards a group of people who were behind him, laughing loudly. The bars was not where he wanted to be tonight, too loud, too many people, so he carefully placed the pictures back in his pocket and made his way through the crowd. He headed home where he could get a much needed good nights sleep. Something he hadn't had in a long time. 

The next day O'Malley and Benson were on their feet the moment the Captain barked their names. 

"Detectives, I have an assignment for you." Captain Page crushed the end of a cigarette out, than tossed a file six inches thick on his desk in front of them. "These are documents that need to be examined by a retired SU2 agent. You two need to run them to St. Louise, and have them there by tomorrow night."

"Field trip." O'Malley said, sounding enthused. 

"Lodging will be provided, reservations under both your names have already been made. Don't screw this one up, detectives. It's a simple drop off and come back assignment. You'll leave tonight. That will be all."

Nick grabbed the paperwork and smiled at Kate, who was first out the door.

Ten minutes into the trip Kate smiled to herself. She had O'Malley trapped inside a car, hours of road ahead of them. Prime opportunity to bring up their previous conversation. 

"So I should expect Captain Page to be assigning me a new partner sometime soon?"

Nick looked over at Kate like she had just sprouted tentacles. "What's that?"

"You said you took me on until I had my bearings. I think I've got 'em. So you'll be looking to work on your own now?" Kate teased him. She knew her partner would never go back to working solo again, but torturing him until he gave her a satisfactory answer was always done in good fun. 

Nick squirmed in his seat. "We barely even left the side of the road and your bringing this up?"

"It's better than not talking." Kate pointed out.

"Fine, let's talk." O'Malley was happy and eager to change the subject. 

"Why don't you just answer the question." Kate said confidently.

"What was the question again?" Nick was stahling.

"Why are we still working together?"

"First of all, where do you come up with this stuff? Second of all, why are you bringing this up after two years?"

"Why do you always answer a question with a question?"

"Because, in this case, my questions are more logical than yours are. And you staying on as my partner has nothing to do with your food issues, let me tell you."

Kate's turn to look at him like he was insane. "Food issues. Food issues? Just what food issues would those be. I don't have any food issues."

"You take my food." Nick said, proud of himself on the successful change of conversation topics.

"And what food would that be? Besides the whipped cream today." Kate became comically defensive.

"The whipped cream from today, the whipped cream from the day before, pretzels..."

"One tiny bite and your belly aching? And I never ate one of your stupid pretzles."

"...hot dogs, there's always a bite or two missing out of them, you snatch them right out of my hand. And yes you have taken pretzels. Huge big peices of them."

"I do not!"

"The candy bar the other night, how about that?" Nick challenged her.

"What candy bar the other night?" 

"You stole it." Nick was ready with the evidence.

"I did not! You ate it!"

Nick smirked as he leaned across Kate, reaching for the glove box. He withdrew a snickers wrapper, handing it to her. "I set it down right here," Nick tapped the dashboard, "and when I got back in the car after I got gas, it was gone. Eaten. Devoured." Nick grabbed the wrapper again from her, waving it in her face for extra drama, "and, I might add, I found it on your seat."

"That doesn't mean anything." 

"Well, it means you ate it."

"Alright! I ate it! Happy now?" Kate crossed her arms, flustered at being busted for the candy theivery.

Nick beamed beside her. Nick, one. Kate, zero.

"And I never ate your pretzel!" Kate huffed. 


	3. Chapter 3

Kate and Nick had just returned from having dinner. They stood between their hotel room doors, saying goodnight. Nick however didn't want the night to end.

"Want to come in for a drink?" Nick's voice came out a little more sexy than he intended it to.

Kate looked at her room door. 

"No, I think I'm just going to turn in."

"Come in for one, it's the weekend, Kate. Relax." He turned and opened his door, guiding her in. He poured both of them a glass of champaign. "Want to check out the hottub with me?"

Kate lowered the glass from her lips and gave a chuckle, unsure whether it was a real offer or a joke. 

"No thanks."

Nick grinned ear to ear. "Why not?" 

"No reason, I'm just...I don't..."

"Your chicken." He finished her sentence for her.

"No. No. I just...don't want to...get into a hottub." A grin now crossed her face. She knew Nick well enough to know he was going to open this up into a long drawn out battle which she would never live down.

"Repressed Kate." He said under his breath.

"Now see, I knew you were going to say something like that. You can never just take an answer for an answer, there always has to be some meaning behind it with you."

Nick moved a little closer to her, still grinning. "What's that mean?"

"Nothing. It means nothing."

"Would only be a few minutes, but if your scared, that's ok. I understand." He taunted her, letting his words trail off so she would think he was dropping the subject, giving her every reason to pick it up again so she wouldn't feel she lost this war of words.

"No, I am not scared. I just don't feel like it." Kate was loosing to Nick fast, and she knew it.

"Ok." He knew when he humored her, things usually went in his favor. She moved her jaw to the side slightly and contemplated. He averted his eyes from her and played it up. "So did you bring your suit cause if you don't have one to wear, you could always go in what your wearing under that." He motioned to her.

"It doesn't matter, cause I'm not going in it. And why do you always have to be such a pig about things?" 

"I'm not being a pig about anything. It's just what's the difference between a bikinni and..."

"There's a difference."

"Ok."

"Don't say that, I hate when you say that."

Nick laughed again, amused at the fact he could play her so well. "Say what"  
"Nevermind. I'm leaving. I'll see you tomorrow." 

"Ok. Night, Kate." 

Kate left his room. He stood, grinning for a moment, than changed into his robe. Underneath that, he wore black boxers. A few minutes later, he was standing at Kate's hotel door, knocking. He was glad they got adjoining rooms.

"You win." He said sarcastically, holding the champaign bottle and two glasses. He let himself in and went into her bathroom, lighting three candles. "I'm really glad the hotel mixed up our rooms and gave us private hottubs. Your didn't bring your suit, did you?" He said as he fumbled with the cd player, turning to Kate.

"Win what?" Kate laughed. "What did I win?"

"I'll go in with you." Nick said nonchalantly, turning back to the cd. He had carefully chosen the right music.

"Nick. I'm tired. Very, very tired." Kate put her hands on her hips, shifting her weight to mainly one leg.

"And this will help you relax. Go get your suit on." Nick pushed the cd and pressed pause. "Or whatever it is your going to wear." He grinned slyly.

Kate looked uncomfortable standing there, but walked from the room to put her suit on, mumbling the entire time. Nick just grinned. When Kate came back in, she wore a black bikini with a red wrap skirt. Nick's mouth fell open when he took sight of her. Her hair fell in a blonde river over her shoulders and past her breasts. His eyes traveled over her body as his thoughts raced. He had never seen a more beautiful woman than Kate. Kate, however, noticed none of this. She was too busy being embarressed by it all to see her partners reaction to her. She removed her skirt and again placed her hands on her hips, looking to him for a call on what to do next. He handed her a glass of champaign and hit play on the cd., getting in the tub. Her eyes followed him, and the look on her face was telling him she was merely appeasing him. His face sported a cocky grin. He motioned to the water next to him.

"Ya know, it's much more comfortable and relaxing if you actually get in the water." His grin widened. Kate rolled her eyes and got in, choosing the seat across from him. 

Kate's eyes squinted skeptically at the music. 

"This is your cd?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason. I just never pictured you to listen to this." She motioned towards the player, than tipped her head back, resting it on the wall behind her. 

"What do you think is my type of music?" 

Kate laughed. "I don't know, ya know, just not this." Kate closed her eyes.

"Huh?" Nick leaned forward. He had heard her, he just pretended not to.

"I said that I didn't know." She raised her voice loud enough for the entire hotel to hear her.

"Oh. Well see, you don't know me as well as you think you do." 

"I know you." Kate said, forgetting to say it louder.

"I can't hear you when your way over there." Nick changed his position right next to Kate so his body touched hers. She raised her head and he could feel her grow tense. "Now what was that?" His face was inches from hers. Kate broke the eye contact. 

"Nothing." She pulled her legs up to her body and sat up, keeping her eyes anywhere but on him.

He studied her for a moment, knowing he was safe to let his eyes travel her body again as long as he didn't move his head. 

"Are you nervous?" Nick lowered his head so she would look at him.

Laughing, Kate glanced at him, than quickly away. "Am I what?"

"You heard me." A more serious look came over him.

"Why would I be nervous?" She gave him a look like he was being ridiculous. 

"No reason." Nick took his arm and put it behind Kate, resting it on the back of the wall. He could cut her tension with a knife. She waited a few seconds, than leaned forward an inch or two, pretending to grab her glass. Nick noticed when she took a sip and set the glass back down, she didn't lean back. 

"You know you can lean back, Kate. Relax. That's the whole point. Jeez, I'm glad I didn't offer to give you a massage or anything like that. I almost did, ya know." 

"I'm tired. I'm going to get going." She started to sit up, but Nick's audible sigh stopped her. She looked back ready for another fight.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

Kate mimicked his sigh.

Nick pressed his lips together, slightly shaking his head.

"You have something to say, say it." Kate tossed a towel around her hair and started drying the ends.

"Nevermind, Kate." He looked away from her, he didn't look happy with her.

She lowered the towel from her hair and looked at him, waiting for more. He kept his eyes on the wall ahead of him.

"Are you mad at me?" She was serious now too. Nick just shook his head slowly. Kate stared disbelieving down at him. "Nick." He didn't respond. "Nick."

"Listen, I'm going back to my room now." He looked at her, than away again.

Kate was hurt, but more-so confused.

"What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"No, Nick, tell me."

Nick hesitated. 

"You've been my partner for almost two years now, we've talked about everything together, you say I'm your best friend, yet you can't sit next to me without acting like I have some disease." He finished off his champaign and rubbed his eyes. "I just don't get it, that's all."

"I wasn't acting like that!"

"Oh, your body always locks up like that naturally?"

"I didn't lock..."

"Why are you afraid of me?" Nick lost the edge to his voice, as if this time he was asking her a valid question.

"I'm not afraid of you." Kate's voice took a turn too. Truth was, Kate was afraid of him. Not in the typical sense, but she was afraid of her growing feelings for him. Nick was a tramp, so wrong for her, and yet, so right. She would die if he ever read her true feelings for him. It would make things uncomfortable and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Than come back in and sit next to me."

For a few moments there was silence as the songs changed, and the two said nothing. Sacrifice, by Elton John came on, and Kate once again removed her skirt and got in, this time sitting next to Nick. 

"You can relax." A little grin formed on his mouth, he was half serious.

"I am re..." Kate closed her eyes like she was tired. "I don't want to argue with you, Nick. I am relaxed. Can we just stop fighting?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

"If your relaxed, you won't jump when I do this than." Nick had his eyes firmly on Kate as his hand moved out of the water and onto her leg, just above the knee. Kate jumped, pulling her leg away, but Nick kept up with her. His hand moved with her.

"Stop messing with me." Kate looked embarressed again, putting her hand up to her face. Nick lost his smirk as he looked deeper into Kate. 

"Kate. Look at me." 

She lowered her hand and her eyes met his. Slowly, he moved his hand a little further up her leg.

"I'm not messing with you." Nick leaned slowly over to her, their faces now an inch apart. He closed his eyes, touching his lips to hers. His other hand moved to the side of her face. His lips parted on his second kiss. 

"Nick." Kate whispered. She grabbed his hand that was on her leg to stop it from moving any farther, her other hand braced against him on his chest. 

"Shh." He kissed her again, this time gently pushing his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. He could taste the champaign on her and at that moment, he never wanted anyone more. "Don't stop me, Kate. I want this. I want you. Please, don't stop this from happening." Without breaking the kiss, he positioned himself on top of her, between her legs. His breath was huskey now as he ran his fingers up and down the inside of her leg. He was careful not to move too fast, as to scare her off, but not too slow to give her a chance to come to her sences. His mouth moved to the side of her neck. He kissed it firmly. 

"Stop." Kate's hands pressed against his chest. "Stop it. Nick, we can't do this." He could hear the weakness in her voice.

"We are doing this." 

"Nick, this isn't right. Cut it..just stop ok."

Nick moved his mouth from her neck to her mouth again. He ran his fingertips between her legs so she could just barely feel it. He heard a little wimper from her and he added a little more pressure where he was touching her. 

"Nick, we can't do this, this is very wrong." Kate was struggling to maintain control...of the situation, of Nick, of herself.

Nick, however, was not giving her that.

"I don't know if it's wrong, Kate. I just know it feels really good. Tell me that doesn't feel good." Once more he ran his finger up and down the outside of her suit. When he felt her shudder, he slipped one finger inside her, moving it slowly. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her as tightly into his body as he could. "You are so wet, God your wet." 

"Stop!" Kate pushed him back. 

Nick stared blankly at her for a moment. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kate's face tightened. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded. "You know I can't believe you would try this with ME!" She continued. "I'm not one of your weekend babes you can just sleep with once and forget. I mean I thought we were friends." Kate once again started to stand up but Nick grabbed her arm.

"Is that what you think this is?" 

The redness in Kate's face disappeared and she rubbed her forehead like she was tired and at a loss for words. "I don't know what it is. I just know I never saw this coming from you, not with us. Go back to your room, Nick. Goodnight." Nick watched her wrap a towel around herself and disappear from the room. After a few minutes, he did the same, retreating to his own hotel room. He got dressed and went down to the bar for a drink. By his seventh mixed drink, he was irrate with her for thinking what she did, for lessening his advances towards her. Coupled with strong emotions and liquid courage, he tossed a few dollars on the bar, slammed the remaining scotch in his glass, and headed off to confront Kate. 

Kate jolted awake when she heard the three loud pounds on her door. She was about to get out of bed when it flung open. Her eyes focused on Nick as he stormed into her room, inches from her bed. 

"Nick! What are you..."

"Shut up!" Nick pointed his finger at her and his tone was harsher than she ever heard it, with her or anyone. The tone of his voice alone kept her mouth closed. "I'm talking this time." 

Kate could tell by the way his body swayed slightly he had been drinking, and rather heavily, and she wanted to avoid a fight. She knew he was always a little more aggressive when he was drunk. Nick sat on the edge of her bed and bent over at the waist, running his hands through his hair. She wondered if he could hear the pounding of her heart inside her chest. 

"Two years I've known you, and never once..never once Kate have I ever tried anything with you or made any sexual advances towards you. We're best friends for Christ's sake! You think this was a spur of the moment thing? That I just wanted to get laid and you were the closest one around?" He turned to look at her. "No! I did this whole senario tonight because I have feelings for you, Kate. You don't see that? I just wanted to touch you, that's all."

Nick stared glassy eyed at her for a minute, waiting for her to respond. His words didn't come out as he wanted, and so much was missing from his speech, but between the drinking and how he was feeling he couldn't remember what he had intended to say.

"Nick..." Kate looked at him like he was wasting her time. "I really think you need to go back to your room and sleep this one off."

Nick was insensed. He laughed out of anger and sarcasm. Slowly he stood up from her bed, half blaming himself for getting drunk, half blaming her for not taking him seriously. He opened the door to her room and before slamming her door, he left her with four words, leaving her shaken and rattled. "Go to hell, Kate. It wasn't a fuck I was looking for!"

The next morning, Nick woke up with a bad taste in his mouth, an even worse headache, and by far the worse, a guilty concience. He laid in bed for an hour reliving the night before. He knew he put too much on her too fast, and he knew she had every right to be scared off by it. After all, his track record with women said it all. The feelings and thoughts he had been having the last few months he had kept all to himself, erupting in one night. How was she supposed to have taken him seriously when he gave her no warning? But showing emotion, especially an emotion that meant walking that line, taking that chance, commitment, a real relationship was hard for him, impossible almost. But he was hurt. His pride was shattered. She took his sudden openness for betrayal, and he wasn't sure how to fix that. Nick once again did the only thing he really did well. And that was put up a wall. 

He stumbled out of bed and took a shower, getting dressed. Kate was on his mind the entire time. He carried his suitcase out the door where he saw Kate, just finishing packing up the car with her things. He walked up to her and without looking at her, tossed his suitcase in the trunk. 

"Morning." Kate's voice was unsure. Nick ignored her. Instead of answering her, he got in the drivers seat and started the car. With a sigh, she got in next to him and neither said a word. Nick was dying inside. He felt rejected, hurt, and most of all, he couldn't talk to his best friend about it.

Four hours into the trip, Nick pulled into a diner. He got out of the car and made his way into it. He choose a booth in the back, grabbing a newspaper, something Nick never read unless he had to. Kate followed him. He didnt look at her when she sat across from him. The waitress came and Kate ordered two coffees. Kate rested her chin on her hand and stared out the window. Nick stole a couple of quick glances at her and set his paper down. He ordered his lunch but when the waitress turned to Kate, she waved her off, ordering nothing. She made a few small attempts at conversation, but Nick shot them down fast. Kate retrieted to her own little corner of the booth, and silence. 

When they got back to headquarters, Nick dropped Kate off at her car and was suprised when she didn't bother with a goodbye. She let him walk into the station as she grabbed her bag and drove home. Nick's stomach flipped. The last thing he wanted to do was loose his best friend. But admitting he was wrong was something hard for him. He struggled with it the rest of the night. 

By four am Kate had cried herself to the point she was fresh out of tears. She fought off the urge to call him, so when her home phone rang a second later, she was fast to answer it, knowing already who it was.

"Hello?" Her stomach tightened yet her heart leap when she heard his voice on the other end of the line.

"I'm a jerk."

"Yes, you are, but it's one of the things I like about you most." 

Nick could hear her smiling, and knew it would all be ok. 

"Kate, I..."

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Kate paused in her words, but only for a second. "I'm going to order chinese, and you should probley get here soon, because I'm reaaally hungry. I just might eat it all." Kate heard the click on his end and knew he was on his way. She hung up the phone and ordered the food.

The trip from Nick's apartment to Kate's normally took 15 minutes. Nine minutes after Kate ended the call from Nick, her doorbell rang. 


	4. Chapter 4

"It's not that easy." Kate said, setting her rice down on the table behind her. "We work together. You and Julie must have ran into that problem, or at least thought about it at some point."

Nick considered it. "We did, but does work justify looking past certain things that are important?" 

"Maybe, in some cases. We were friends first." She pointed out. "Partners first."

"Disgruntaled co-workers." Nick corrected, half joking.

Kate laughed. "You were a little hard to accept, and work with."

"I was a jerk, wasn't I?" 

"Oh yes, you were...um...difficult." Kate grabbed her fortune cookie. "To say the least."

"What's it say?" Nick asked, pointing to the yellow cookie.

Kate glanced up at him, than unfolded the little slip of paper. "For the flowers to grow, you must have rain." Kate crumpled hers up and tossed Nick his fortune. "Read it."

He cracked the cookie open, eating only on half. "Oh," Nick seemed interested in the writing on the paper. 

"Well?" Kate leaned forward in anticipation. "Tell me what it says!"

"There will be a naked woman in your future tonight." Nick said, glancing up at her to catch her reaction.

Kate merely rolled her eyes. "I should have expected something like that from you." She sounded aggitated.

"What?"

"Nothing." Kate stood up to clean up the empty containers from "breakfast," when her company pulled her back down to the couch. 

"What did I say?" Nick lost his smile.

"You always have to joke. Why is that? We finally start getting somewhere, and you go and blow it! I should have just went to bed." Kate stood up again, this time, Nick let her.

"Why do we still work together? Huh, Nick? Why can't you tell me that? Why do I have to drag these things out of you? But yet, you expect me to believe all the things you dump on me in one night when you can't even say them. Why is that, Nick?" Kate was practically shouting.

"Dump on you? Is that how you see it?" Nick was silent for a minute. "Wow, Kate. I didn't know that's how you saw what I was doing."

Kate put her hand to her forehead, exhausted again by the fighting. She looked at Nick, who seemed just as drained. "I didn't mean it like that." She offered. 

"Why can't you just accept that I don't like going there, talking about those things?" This was not how tonight was supposed to go, he thought to himself. "This is just me, Kate, how I am, who i am."

She crossed her arms, looking down for a moment, than back to the man in front of her. "Well this is who I am, and I like to hear it every now and than."

Nick grabbed his jacket. "Deadlocked." He said, putting it on. 

"Sounds like it." Kate hated the heavy feeling in her stomach. She was angry. Angry at herself for pushing the issue, angry at Nick for not giving into something that important to her, angry at the situation and every word they said to eachother since last night. Most of all, she was angry at their apparent impass. She didn't know why, but at that moment she wanted Nick to stay, even if they were arguing, fighting, screaming at eachother. She just didn't want him to leave. "What's good enough for your one night stands isn't good enough for me. And you can't treat me like you do them."

Nick turned towards her, insulted. He opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, and walked to the door, stopping when he reached it. "Oh, yeah, these are yours." Nick set the envelope on her keystand by her door. Kate was too upset to ask where and how he got them. She watched him leave. Neither said goodbye to the other. When Nick slammed her door, she forced back the tears, but when she saw his headlights pass over her walls from outside, she fell apart. 

Kate blew her nose and wiped the tears from her eyes. Nick had left ten minutes ago, if she hurried, she could catch him before he got home and fell asleep. She tossed her coat on, threw the first pair of shoes she could find on, and grabbed her purse, running to her car as she dug in it for her keys. Nick was right, it was just him. It all was just him, every flaw of his, every irritating little fact about him was every reason she loved him so much. Why question that? And why try to change it? Hearing that someone loves you is important, but knowing it is so much more. 

The sun was just starting to rise over Chicago as Kate sped through it's streets. Getting to Nick now was the only thing important to her. It's amazing what kind of clarity you can find after a fight and a few minutes of really thinking. The city streets were starting to get busy, everyone on their way to work, noone happy about going. She passed car after car, laughing to herself. "Jesus, I'm driving like him!" She thought. Four blocks to go, she would make it in under two minutes. 

"Oh, no, what is this?" She said aloud, looking on as traffic was at a standstill. At least ten cars ahead of her were jam packed, not moving. She tapped her steering wheel in impatience as she strained to see what the hold up was. She could see a police officer motioning to everyone in the three lanes going west to turn around, head the other way. "This has got to be a joke." She gritted her teeth as she backed up her vehicle onto the cross street behind her. She cast a glance to her right, down the street, seeing the flashing lights of emergency workers. An accident. What stopped her blood and heart from pumping was a silver car flipped over on it's roof. An LHS, a car so familiar to her, she would know it anywhere. Her mind wouldn't hold a thought. Her hands began to shake. The only thing that seemed to be working was her body as she found herself exiting her car, running to the wreck. She was barely aware of the two city traffic officers who held her back from going near the car. Her eyes panned the scene. She saw the car, the oil and transmission fluid running along the ground, almost snaking it's way towards her. Than, on the pavement next to the turned over Chrysler, wishing she hadn't, she saw the blood. 


	5. Chapter 5

Kate broke past the men who restrained her from rushing to the scene, only to be stopped again by another, much larger police officer.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you'll have to stay back."

"But I know him, he's my partner...my friend...get off me!" Kate struggled against the man who held her back.

"Miss, they are doing everything for him, now please, stay back. There's nothing you can do for him at this point."

Kate dug in her purse frantically for her badge. "I'm a cop, Special Unit 2...that's my partner. Now let me through, God damn it!" 

The officer took his hands off her and held them up chest level, allowing her through. He waved a few men off that were ready to stop her. When Kate was a few feet from the car, she was stopped by a member of the fire department. Seconds felt like hours to her. Things moved in slow motion, and her body felt numb. 

"No, no, no, no...I can..he said...stop...I know him...!" Again Kate flashed her badge. 

"Is he alive? Is he ok?"

The man turned her around, facing away from the car. "Ok, miss, now before you go up there, I'm going to let you know what to expect. He is partially ejected. We can't get him out right now because he is pinned in the abdomen area by the dashboard of the vehicle and the roof. We're working on extracating him, but we can't get in there to see his injuries." 

"Is he conciece?" 

"No. When we arrived on scene he was not alert. He has a head injury, and that is, best we can tell, where the majority of the blood is coming from." The man walked Kate closer to the vehicle. When Nick came into sight, Kate broke down, scrambling on her knees to get near him. Bit's of glass ground into her legs and hands. 

"Nick! Oh my God, Nick!" Members of the fire department pulled her up and away from him as they worked on getting the roof of the car seperated from him. He was eventually rushed into a nearby ambulance. Kate held his hand until they pushed her out of the transporting vehicle.

"No, please, I want to go with him, please!" Kate clawed at the men who distanced them from eachother. "Nick! Nick I'll follow them up, I'll be right behind you! Nick!" The doors of the ambulance shut, leaving her behind. Running back to her car, Kate felt nausious. She swallowed it down and sped toward the hospital they were taking him to. 

Three hours later, and no word yet on his condition, Kate stood ridgid against the wall of the surgical waiting room. The only time she moved from her position was to inquire about his progress, which each time, proved to be a waste of time. Noone seemed to have an answer for her.

"Ms. Benson?"

Kate snapped her attention to the surgeon. "Yes, doctor, how is he?"

"Why don't you have a seat."

Instead of wasting time arguing, Kate sat down, opposite of the doctor. "First of all, he is alive. I don't have any real good news for you aside from that, in fact we lost him twice on the operating table."

Kate could hear the words he was saying, but making sense of them was not possible. 

"He was not wearing his seat belt, which is why he was ejected from the vehicle, producing the majority of his injuries. He had some internal bleeding. Now that we were able to correct in surgery without much of a problem. Minor bruising to his lungs and liver, that will heal in time. In addition he broke four ribs, his right hand, and he does have some scraps and lacerations. Our main concern right now is a possible head injury. Now I do have him scheduled for a cat-scan after he gets out of recovery in a couple hours, and we can see if his head suffered any injuries. For now he's resting, and I hope in a few hours I'll be able to tell you more, but for now it's wait and see. Do you have any questions?"

Kate stared at the man across from her. Her mind was still taking his words in, slower than normal. She opened her mouth several times to say something, but her brain was far behind. "I need to see him," was all she could think to say.

"Not right now. He needs to clear from recovery. I'll get you in to see him in a couple hours if that's possible ok?" The doctor stood up. "Does he have any family we should notify, anyone?"

Kate dumbly shook her head. "There's just me." She could hear herself saying. Her voice sounded far away to her.

The doctor laid his hand on hers gently. "He's in good hands. We'll do everything we can for him, ok?" The doctor lagged behind a few moments, waiting for a response. Understanding she was past the ability to comprehend all he was saying, he said only one more thing before leaving. "I'll come back when I know more, miss."

Thirty minutes later, Kate fumbled in her purse for her cell phone. She called Captain Page and let him know where she was and what was going on. 

Page listened quietly to her words. "I'll be there as soon as I can," was all he said. Within minutes, he joined Kate in waiting for news on O'Malley's condition. "Nick is strong, he will pull through this just fine." Page said, his voice almost soft. Although her boss tried to sound convincing, she could hear the uncertainty in his voice. Kate closed her eyes as she felt a shudder go down her body. It was a spring morning, yet she felt a chill cross her as if it was the middle of January. 

She wasn't aware of how much time passed, that she sat there with her eyes closed, as if caught in a horrible nightmare, when she felt a hand on hers. She slowly opened her eyes to see Carl standing in front of her. 

"Carl," Page said, a tightness in his voice, "I thought I told you not to come here."

Carl ignored the man behind him as he kept his eyes on Kate. "Is he ok?" The fear and sensitivity in the gnomes voice brought tears to her eyes. Not because she was touched, she would have been, but it didn't occure to her to be. She knew if the gnome was talking this way about his fellow punching bag, Nick may not be ok. The thought scared the hell out of her. 

"They don't know." She whispered through her tears. "They don't know." Kate covered her face and fell into sobs. Carl took the seat next to hers and laid his hand on her shoulder. He didn't say a word after that.

Hours passed. Finally, the doctor who had came before once again walked into the waiting room. "Ms. Benson?" The two "men," and Kate looked up. "You can see him now, but only for a few minutes." Kate was out of her seat in a flash, following the doctor down the long white corridor. "He's still not awake, but I've always believed a familiar voice is the best medicine around. Science will get you only so far. Now I want to prepare you before you go in there. He's hooked up to alot of machines, don't let them scare you, most of them are because he's still coming out of anistesia. He has a heart monitor on, but that's only precaution because of the internal injuries he sustained. He has some lacerations to his face, neck, and arms, but they aren't severe. I don't know if he will hear you or not, that's up to your personal beliefs, but feel free to talk to him." The surgeon opened the door for her to a small room. Kate didn't breath as she rounded the bed, pulling back the curtain. The doctor stayed only a minute, making sure she could handle the situation. For a second, standing there at his bedside, Kate was afraid to move. Her body almost on it's own seemed to take a step closer, her hand taking his, her other hand touching his face. She felt a jolt go through her as she again began to cry, resting her face on his chest. Hearing his heartbeat was what she needed to hear. 

Twenty minutes later, the nurses came to get him, taking him for his cat-scan. She kissed Nick on the forehead as they wheeled him out of the room. Kate could feel her legs walk her back to the waiting room. When she walked in, both sets of eyes were on her, expecting news.

"I..." Kate struggled to keep composure. "Their taking him down now to see if..."

"The doctor came by after you left to update us, Kate. You don't have to. It's going to be ok." Carl said, watching her closely as if she was going to break. "Nick's going to be ok." Carl looked down to the ground. "He has to be."

Nine days had passed and Nick still had not woken up. The doctors did not have any answers for her. Kate pretty much lived at the hospital by his side. Carl and Page stopped in every day, but they never stayed long. Carl never had much to say. Kate knew he wasn't the same gnome without his sidekick around to joust with. 

Kate spent the days and nights with Nick reading to him, reliving old memories, begging him to wake up, and sometimes, out of desperation, cursing him.

On day twelve, as she held his hand, resting her head on his bed, all of her hopes, wishes, and prayers were answered. She felt his hand move in hers. Through her tears, she realized, Nick was finally coming back to her. 


	6. Chapter 6

Nick took his time waking up fully, nearly two long days in fact. The first time he opened his eyes, Kate was there, holding his hand and smiling down at him. His eyes smiled up at her, doing their best to stay focused. Tears and relief laughter spilled from his partner. 

Nick tried speaking, but the tubes down his throat wouldn't let him. Kate pressed her fingertips to his lips, "Don't try to speak, just..." She choked back her crying, becoming stronger for him, "you don't have to say anything ok. Your going to be just fine." Kate pressed the "call button," for the nurses. "You scared me, partner, you really scared me."

Four days later, Nick had become a bear, even more than usual. He was cranky, hostile, irritable, and pretty much back to his old self. The nurses who had once been sweet on him, now flipped quarters to see who would have to enter his room to get barked at. The only one Nick seemed to be civil to was Kate. He complained about the wardrobe. He complained about the food. The staff heard every complaint Nick could think of, and he complained about them all more than once. When they came in his room, they almost always walked in gritting thier teeth, ready for his sarcasm and threats. No staff member was disappointed when the doctor cleared Nick into going home as long as he had someone there to babysit him. Kate jumped at the opportunity to do just that.

"He's going to be able to do alot on his own, but some things you'll have to help him with. Lifting anything too heavy obviously," the doctor turned to look at a chuckling and smirking Nick. 

"Hear that, Kate?" 

Kate just dismissed his perverted humor with a roll of the eyes, but she was glad to see the shine come back to his eyes, even if it was an evil sort of glint. 

The doctor either didn't catch his joke or didn't acknowledge it. "Make sure he takes his medication..." He turned, giving O'Malley a "this is being said for your benefit," look, "all of his medication. And basically rest, lots of rest. We will see him back in seven days for a check up. These are his discharge instructions, everything in here's pretty self explainitory. Good luck, folks." Kate wondered how the doctor refrained from saying "good riddance," to Nick as she wheeled him down the hall, but she could almost hear the party break out at the nurses station. When she rounded the corner, Nick stood up from his wheelchair.

"Nick! Sit back down!"

"I can walk." Nick called back to her over his shoulder. After a few steps, he realized Kate wasn't following him. She stood, arms crossed, glaring at him. Nick smiled and walked back up to her, grabbing the chair, pushing it against the wall. He flashed her another smile and headed down the hall to the elevator. Kate seethed, but said nothing. She knew better. Nick and wheelchairs just didn't and could never mix. They weren't manly enough. Her smirk, and victory, came a few minutes later, when Nick, unable to drive, got into the passanger seat of her car. He grumbled, he bitched, he pissed and moaned about it, but he accepted defeat as best he could for the ride home. 

Later that night, after Kate had set Nick up on the couch with his remote and his dinner, Carl dropped by. The first thing he did when he walked in was take one look at O'Malley and laughed a sinister sounding laugh. "How's the gimp tonight?" Carl asked Kate, but the comment was meant for Nick.

"Carl!" Kate warned. "Stop it!"

The gnome hopped up on Nick's snackbar stool, a safe distance from the reach of Nick's crutch, and observed the man. "Ok, your right, and I'm sorry." Carl said in a sincere tone. "So, O'Malley, does Kate need to help you go to the bathroom too?" Carl cackled to himself as Nick silently fumed. Kate kept a close eye on both. 

Nick's eyes closed on him after half an hour. Not even Carl's remarks could keep him awake. Kate fussed in the kitchen. "Carl." She tossed on a light jacket and grabbed her purse. "I need to run to the store real fast, will take me about half an hour. Can I trust you to watch over him," she motioned towards O'Malley, "without waking him while I'm gone?" 

Carl's face lit up. "Sure, you can trust me." He smiled enthusiastically. Kate narrowed her eyes on him, pointing her finger in his face.

"No monkey...gnome business now, he needs his rest." She grabbed her keys from the counter and as she made her way out the door, muttered something to the effect of, "I can't believe I'm leaving you two alone." When Carl saw the door shut, he ran to the window overlooking the street. He smiled wickedly as he watched Kate drive away. Rubbing his hands together in an evil plan, he casually made his way over to the sleeping detective.

The blonde did her shopping fast, grabbing only what items they would desperatly need. A sinking feeling in her stomach told her to expect the worst when she got back to Nick's apartment. When she walked in, her suspisions were true. 

"Oh, that's great! That's just great!" She threw her hands up in the air, charging over to Carl, who was having a blast with a pack of markers on O'Malley's cast. Nick's face was also scotch-taped in a funky face. Nick slept through it all until Kate started her sqwauking. Carl made a run for it not only from Nick, but from Kate as well.

"Gotta go!" And the gnome was on the run. Kate however cut him off, cornering him in the kitchen.

Nick woke up, groggy at first, until he realized he had been tampered with. He pulled the tape off his face, looked at his cast, than at Carl. "That's it!" He said, grabbing his crutches, doing his best to stand up. When he was on his feet, Carl tore loose from Kate's grasp and the three were chasing eachother around the table. Nick chased Carl. Kate chased Nick. Carl chased his opportunity to live a full life. 

"Nick! You know what the doctor said! Damn it, now sit down!"

O'Malley knew in his state he would never catch the little troll by chasing him, so he put on the brakes, turned around, ready to let Carl run right into him. Instead of his plan coming together, he ran straight into Kate, both of them falling to the ground. The only one that was amused by all of this was Carl.

Kate's face tightened as she lay on her back, sprawled out on the floor, O'Malley on top of her. She tapped her fingernails on the ground fuming. Nick didn't bother crawling off of her. "Are you mad?" He asked. 

Kate said nothing as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Your really mad, aren't you?" Nick asked her again, this time grinning.

She averted her eyes from the ceiling to Nick's brown eyes. Kate wasn't grinning.

Nick lost his smile. "Kate." He whispered. When she didn't reply, when she continued with an icy glare, he continued in his sweetest voice, "remember how much you said you missed my eyes? Just think, that right now, while your looking straight into them, how much you missed them." He attempted another smile, but he cringed when she scrambled from underneath him. 

"Insane! Your both completly insane, and I'm stuck in the middle of it all. Why on earth do I even bother." Kate helped Nick to his feet and back in the chair while she bitched out loud. When he was safetly and comfortabley back in his seat, she went on a rampage, pacing his floors. Carl and Nick watched her like it was her who had flipped her top. Kate yelled at noone as she talked to herself. "It's like kids, two kids that are so unruley, you have to throw in the towel. Her voice escalated and her words continued until she was interupted by Carl, who asked Nick if she had taken her medication that day. Kate stopped in mid-pace.

"YOU!" She pointed at Carl, her feet stalked his little body. "GET OUT!" Her finger moving towards the door. Carl, as fast as his gnome feet would carry him, ran outside. Kate was on a rampage and he had every intention of escaping with his life. "AND YOU!" Kate turned her finger on Nick, who backed up in his chair. "START ACTING INJURED OR I WILL MAKE YOU INJURED!" Nick sulked the rest of the night while Kate held down the fort with an iron fist. 


	7. Chapter 7

At nine thirty pm Kate flounced hard down on O'Malley's couch, beat from the day. "Am I more work than work is?" Nick asked, turning his head to see her.

Kate was going to spill her guts on how impossible he would be to live with, how grumpy he had been all day, and how ready she was to toss his butt out the window, when she noticed how pale he looked. It wasn't his normal color, but considering all he had been through, it was to be expected. Instead of being blunt about her day, she choose a different route. "It's physically exhausting, Nick." 

"I am?" There was a certain amount of hurt in his voice.

Kate shook her head. "No. But looking at you, knowing I could have lost you, is."

Nick studied her face for a few moments. "I wouldn't have left you. You're the only thing that kept me here."

Kate looked back to him, suprised at his words. Misty-eyed and beyond a response, she laid her head on his good shoulder. "I'd put my arm around you, but I don't think my ribs would go along with that plan." 

"Mmm." She hummed in agreement and understanding.

"I suppose my car's past repair." 

Kate closed her eyes, resting them for a minute. "Yup." She took a breath in, realizing she could smell him. Her heart hurt, but not because she was sad. She was on emotional overload. Being that close to him after such a scare made her appreciate the smallest things about him. "Do you remember the accident?"

"Yeah. I had the green light, halfway through the intersection I saw the truck, too late." He felt Kate lean into him a little more, laying her arm on his chest. "I knew he was going to hit me, but I couldn't hit the brake in time. Heard this loud crash, realized it was my car." He laughed, but he wasn't really. Kate sat silently, listening to the story, feeling a tear fall even though she fought them. "I remember thinking, don't pass out...just stay awake. Wasn't sure where I was...I mean, I knew I was on that road, but I didn't know where I was in comparison to the car."

"You were thrown halfway out." Her voice cracked.

He lowered his bottom jaw on her head. It was the only way he could hold her. "Funny thing was, I was going to turn around at the next intersection and go back to your place." Nick looked down at her face as best he could and saw her brush her cheek with her fingers. He knew she was crying. "What did Page call you?"

"When?"

"When they called him about the accident."

"No." Kate cleared her throat. "I called him. I was on my way to your place after we fought. I got there while you were still in the car." She put her arm back on his chest. "It was bad, Nick, really bad. They lost you twice in surgery."

"That's what the doctor said." Nick wanted to lighten the mood for Kate. "Besides, I remember."

Kate lifted her head from his shoulder. "Remember what?"

"Heaven." He said matter of factly. "I was standing there, they were fitting me for wings,"

Realizing he was messing with her, Kate scoffed at the "wings," comment.

"When it dawned on me. Kate's back down there. I can't leave her. Not without doing something first."

"Doing what first?"

Nick backed up against the couch so he could better see her face. "Telling you why we're still partners. That when Page was giving me names of all the guys he could pair you up with, something told me I was the only one you should work with. That I told him I wanted you for a partner, that I thought it could work out, as it has."

If Kate thought she was emotional before, she was near her breaking point now. Nick caught a few tears on her cheek before he continued.

"And I wanted to tell you that I love you, as a partner, as my best friend, as the most important person in my life." 

Kate was afraid if she opened her mouth and told Nick she loved him as well, she would start bawling. So instead, she gave Nick the most passionate kiss he'd ever experienced in his life.

Halfway through this kiss, they both heard a very familiar non-comforting voice from the doorway.

"Detectives!" 

BUSTED 

"The door was halfway open, so I let myself in. I wanted to check on O'Malley before I went home, and I can plainly see for myself that you're doing just fine!" He snarled, looking at Nick. "Both of you, for that matter, seem to be just fine!" This time he turned his glare to Kate. Page felt the need to condem them both for crossing the line between work and pleasure. Instead he turned back to the door. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see any of this nonsense. I'll close the door on my way out! As you were, detectives." Before slamming the door, he added one more thing. "Next time I'll make sure to knock louder!" The Captain than stormed off to his car, promising himself to ban the image from his mind forever.

After the shock wore off, Nick and Kate both burst into a fit of laughter. They basically just got a blessing from their boss to move forward with their relationship, and that was more than fine with both of them. The fun stuff about moving forward though would have to wait until Nick recooped a little bit. But they both waited two years to see this come to them, they could wait a little bit more.

THE END 


End file.
